The hole truth

After yesterday's (overlong) post I'm going to keep it a lot shorter today.  That's partly because I've been on the go since first thing and it's now approaching winding down time and partly because the muse seems to have departed for other climes.

Anyway, there has been action on the hole front.  I first mentioned the hole here on 20th December, and then posted an update here on the 27th, since when several things have happened.  It must have been about a week ago - immediately after Christmas - that the hole outside my neighbour up the road was filled in.  But the same day, another hole was dug outside my neighbour down the road - and yet another three doors further down.  Every day, at least one man arrived in a van, spent some time ruminating before getting out of the van and peering into each hole in turn.  After that, he would get back into his van and ruminate some more, before making a phone call and driving off.

Then, on Monday, another hole was dug, midway between the two already existing holes.  And on Wednesday, as I left for the park with the dog, I noticed two vans and a flat-bed truck.  I counted five men standing around not even talking or bothering to peer into any of the holes.  But when I came back from the park, the truck had gone and just three men were gazing intently into the hole furthest down the hill.  A fourth man was back in one of the vans, obviously exhausted from his stint of hole watching and in need of a rest.

But today, when I arrived home from the weekly visit to Sainsbury's, a grab lorry was blocking the road.  The driver was shifting the soil and general muck from the verge beside the middle hole and he also dropped some soil back into the hole before movong to allow me past.  And all three holes have been filled in!

Well, partly filled in.  There is earth in each of them, up to a level just below the surrounding paving slabs.  They still await a little more in-filling and the replacement of the paving slabs.  Meanwhile, the temporary plastic fencing remains in place, together with the "Footpath Closed" signs.  But at least the "Nosmo King" signs have been removed so I rather suppose we are no longer in any danger of being blown to kingdom come.

Until the next hole is dug.